


Just in Time!

by PoynterJones



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Angst, Bertolt Hoover - Freeform, Boss - Freeform, Boss/Employee Relationship, Company, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Implied Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover, Job - Freeform, Love, M/M, Manager - Freeform, Modern, Oral Sex, Photography, Smut, Work, Yaoi, aot - Freeform, attack on titan - Freeform, reiner braun - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform, snk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 09:30:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1643861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoynterJones/pseuds/PoynterJones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enter Eren Jaeger; a 25 year old stuck in a dead end job with a lack of motivation to do anything with his life.<br/>When his job and the only means to pay his bills is threatened, will it knock some sense into him or will it set the cogs in motion to his spiralling downfall?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Late for Life

** Chapter 1: Late for Life **  
_Time: 1 minute late_

For the fifth day in a row, Eren Jaeger had been late for work. Of course, it wasn't his fault. The local bus system was a wreck and because they were the only competitive company in the area it seemed as though they could please themselves when their buses turned up and when they didn't.  
He wrapped his crimson red scarf tightly around his neck and pulled his knees to his stomach in quick strides as he sprinted as quickly as his legs could carry him. Over the paving stones that twisted through the parked cars, the thuds of his soles could be heard, resounding in the ears of the customers who were sauntering back to their vehicles, bags and trolleys in hand, a few turning to stare at the brunette as he dove across the road to the other side only just managing to dodge the bonnet of an oncoming car.

"Shit I'm so fucking late. I'm so done this time. This time for sure!" Breathing raggedly and puffing and panting as he cursed himself he approached the final hurdle of his race, forcing himself to run all the way in front of the brightly lit checkouts and to the staff entrance towards the end.

Now, Eren was a bright boy. He was twenty five years old, average height but healthy and fit, his lightly tanned, toned body never usually noticeable underneath the baggy clothes that he wore. He had a perfect complexion, his skin soft and smooth, his hair silky to touch and his bright emerald eyes always sparkling like precious gemstones. It wasn't just the perfect image that he had either, there was the fact that he had talent in many areas. He was an excellent artist and photographer, painting and capturing images more beautiful than their real life counterpart. He excelled in literacy and numeracy, his counting skills, written work and speech impeccable, more fluid than that of published authors in the industry and more vast than the contents of the Oxford Dictionary. His wealth of knowledge spanned over half the universe, his eidetic memory retaining each and every useful - and in most cases, useless - piece of information that he had ever heard.  
Without a doubt, Eren could be classed as a genius. A genius with the worst motivational and time keeping skills in existence.

His hands gripped the banister as he propelled himself up the stairs taking, usually impossible, three steps at a time. Not even having time to collapse at the clocking in machine he fumbled deep within the confines of his jacket pockets, his swiping in card quite simply evading him. Fingering each and every item that he came across his eyes were quick to glance at the time on the small, number coded machine before him, the time reading '3:02pm'. He had less than a minute to swipe before he was officially clocked in late by the computer and deducted a full half an hour of his pay.

"C'mon, c'mon..." Chewing gum and receipts fell from his pockets as his frantic search ended, the plastic card in his hand rived from its place within its material confines and thrust through the slot in the machine just as the time ticked over to the third minute. A sickening error noise sounded and it was too late. "FUCK!"

The door behind Eren creaked open, a familiar face poking out from behind, a familiar frown gracing the face of said person and those familiar words that he had heard so much this week and all the other previous weeks.  
"You're late Eren. _Again_." A young woman, the same age as Eren, stepped from the room to stand before him.

"It's not my fault the fuckin' buses don't run at the times that they're supposed to! I've literally ran three miles to get here, can't you let me off? Please Mikasa, I can't afford to lose any more pay!" Eren pleaded with the dark haired girl, her frown remaining.

"Well if you were that bothered then you wouldn't be late now would you? I can't keep altering the payroll, Eren. If the boss finds out I'll get the sack and so will you. You're lucky that he's not in until later because if he knew that you had turned in late again then you would have been disciplined if not, sacked. Stop being so tardy and get a grip Eren. You need to wake up from this stupid little daydream you're in and get your act together!" He grimaced and grasped his clocking in card so tightly in his hand that any tighter and he could have possibly drawn blood. "Now get down to your department otherwise I really will deduct your pay!"

"Thank you Mikasa, I appreciate it, really." 

It was one thing to be late but getting Mikasa angry was a whole different kettle of fish. To explain, Mikasa was Eren's adoptive sister and it led to her mothering him sometimes. When she shouted at him it wasn't really because she was angry. Truthfully it was worry that came over her when he brought trouble on himself. It was difficult to watch him struggle to get by but he needed to learn how to take care of himself. He was an adult now and his parents and friends could not coddle him for the rest of his life. It shocked Mikasa sometimes that someone so intelligent and smart could be so stupid at times.

Eren hung his jacket up on the tarnished metal hook that sat pinned next to several others and sighed, pulling his black, fleeced jacket on. He hated the jacket but the fuel station in which he worked always got so cold what with being detached from the main store. The four fridges containing sandwiches, fresh food and bottled drinks that occupied one half of the small shop did not particularly help the temperature either.

"You're late Jaeger. Again." The manager of the petrol filling station walked through the staff entrance and crossed his arms, glaring darkly as though Eren had commit a serious crime.

"Sorry Jean, it's those damn buses. I swear I was waiting for at least half an hour and nothing turned up! I ran here as fast as I could."

Jean shook his head and nodded to the small blonde boy emerging from behind him.

"It's all well and good you giving me excuses Eren but Armin was supposed to finish ten minutes ago. You're supposed to be here five minutes before the next person finishes so that I can brief you!" Eren's face screwed up and his lips drew back thinly as he took a step forward.

"Armin I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you, alright?" Shaking his head, the blonde's locks bounced.

"Don't worry Eren, it doesn't bother me. I don't mind." Gripping the strap of his light brown, leather shoulder bag, Armin took a step away from Jean and towards Eren. Placing his hand on his shoulder, Armin smiled. "Eren, Mikasa and I are worried about you. Your punctuality is really starting to become a problem. If there's anything wrong, please talk to me, I want to help, okay? I'll see you at the weekend! Try not to get in any more trouble." And on that notion he left.

The big, bright, blue eyed blonde; his name was Armin Arlert. A friend of Eren and Mikasa's from a very young age. He was Eren's best friend and at times more like a brother to him than anything.  
Armin was just as intelligent as Eren and was currently studying at college to further his dreams of becoming a geologist. He had always had a fascination with the world and the way that it worked. Eren sometimes wondered what it was that he truly wanted to do and when it would happen. How long it would take for him to find his dream job.

A cough brought him to his senses and he wandered through the back and behind the counter aside Jean who just stared at him with contempt. "Well don't just stand there, go and fill up the shelves or make yourself useful or something! You can stay an extra fifteen minutes after your shift end to make up for your lost time as well." 

Though Jean was Eren's manager, in reality the two were the same age and had attended the same school together. They weren't on the best of terms during their education and that resentment for one another seemed to carry on through into their later working life. Jean had a tendency to get Eren to do all the work when they were on a shift together whilst he just sat back and served customers all day. Or just sat back and drank cups of tea whenever there were no customers. That pissed Eren off profusely considering he knew that whenever Jean was working a full shift with Armin, he would bend over backwards to do anything for him.

Carrying two cardboard boxes filled with crisps, one on top of the other across to the stand next to the front door, Eren dreamed of the day where he'd be the one sitting behind a desk with a cup of tea in his hand, ordering people around. He dreamed of the day where he wouldn't have to worry about where the money came for his next bill and how he'd earn so much money that he wouldn't even know what to do with he.  
So engrossed in his thoughts he didn't notice the customer entering the shop. So enamoured with the idea of leaving his stale and boring job that he didn't hear the quiet 'oi' as he took that last step forward.

Packets littered the floor as the cardboard boxes tumbled from his hands, his backside hitting the tiled floor a little harder than he would have liked. Glancing up, a shorter than average man, clad in a pristine grey and black pinstripe suit towered above him, his hands clenched to fists at his side.

"Are you deaf? I said watch where you're going you stupid little brat!" His face furrowed and his hand clasped to his forehead mussing up the black hair that flopped down over his face. His eyes were an unnatural dark grey, yet bright enough to be able to burn their way through Eren's gaze. Before Eren could even begin to think about opening his mouth to apologise, Jean had appeared, dragging Eren from the ground.

"Sorry Sir, I apologise about his incompetence, he's a little clumsy. You wouldn't think he's been doing this job for the past three years." Jean turned to Eren, seething yet unable to vent his frustration on the shop floor in the presence of a customer. "There's a phone call for you, go and take it while I see to the mess you've made."

Eren scurried through the shop, tapping the number into the coded door as fast as he could, still feeling the heated sensation of a very angered customer's gaze melting into the back of him.

Today couldn't possibly get any worse.

He slipped his fingers around the receiver of the phone that was lying face down on the bench and brought the cold plastic to his ear and sighed, prompting the conversation. "Hello, it's Eren?"

"Hello Eren, Erwin here. I see on the records that you were late again this morning. This isn't acceptable Eren, it's starting to become a bad habit. I need you to come to my office as soon as you can please, we need to have a talk."

"Y-Yes Sir." Throat dry and hand shaking, he slipped the phone back into its holder and slumped into the chair that was behind him.  
This was the phone call that Eren had been dreading.

Today definitely got worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter.  
> I'm sorry it's nothing special at the moment. Just trying to build up a bit of character development and setting the scene a little. I have no idea where I'm going with this but I love the idea of AU SNK/AOT so I thought I'd try it out.  
> I'm currently studying at the moment so I don't know how the updating is going to go but we'll see.
> 
> So far we've been introduced to:  
> Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Armin, Erwin and a mysterious short black haired, angry looking customer (I wonder who that could possibly be).
> 
> I openly accept constructive criticism as well, so please, if you see a mistake or think I need to improve on something, please let me know, so long as it's genuinely constructive and not just pure flaming.


	2. Late for Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his job on the line, is Eren really going to get serious about taking control of his time management?  
> It's not just work that being late puts a strain on. What happens when it starts to taint his personal and social life as well?

** Chapter 2: Late for Lunch **  
_Time: 15 minutes late_

Controlling his nerves was all but natural to Eren. It was a trait that he'd taken from his father's side of the family. ' _There is no point in wasting your energy getting nervous because if something is going to happen then it will happen regardless, no need to worry yourself about it._ '  
It was all well and good saying that, he thought to himself, but when forced into the situation you find your body reacting in the complete opposite way that you want it to work. Like right now, for example, Eren wanted to remain calm and professional but his hands were damp, clammy with sweat and the hairs upon his arms were rigid, vibrating as his body shook in broken waves, the fear he was once told to suppress consuming his entire being.

It wasn't often that people met with the manager of the store. His underlings in administration and the personnel office usually tended to trivial matters of concern. Eren knew that his job was at stake before any words had even been uttered. Before than man had even appeared he knew that this next twenty minutes or so would rely on his thinking and communication skills to get him out of this mess, if that was at all possible.

"Hello Eren." He had been so engrossed in his mental turmoil that he hadn't been aware that his superior had walked in.

Eren was on his feet immediately but no sooner had he stood, the tall, blonde man before him motioned for him to sit back down.

"I like you Eren. You're a hard worker, you know that?" Eren remained silent, absorbing each and every word that left the manager's lips. "It would really pain me to have to ask you to leave the company but I feel I have no other option."

In front of Eren there was a stack of papers that Erwin pushed towards him, a list of days, times, numbers, all highlighted and circled. It took him barely a few seconds to recognise what it was that was being shown to him.

"This is your clocking in record for the times you have been late in the past year." Thumbing the corner, he flicked the edge and five whole pages fluttered underneath his skin. "Eren this is unacceptable. I can let lateness slide once or twice but this many times is just not justifiable. The repercussions this has on my job as well as your fellow colleagues are severe. I get bollocked off my manager and your colleagues are having to pick up after you because you're not there to do it yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying Eren?" Resting both elbows upon his mahogany desk, Erwin sighed and closed his eyes momentarily. "Are you having any problems at home? Is there something causing you to be late for work? If there is we can sort it out."

Exhaling heavily, Eren broke his silence and shook his head. "No sir, no reason. The buses are mainly why I'm late. I do wait for them but they just never seem to arrive on time."

"I know you're better than this Eren. You need to think ahead. Get the bus _before_ the bus that you normally get. I'll have a word with your sister and see if she can give you a kick up the backside." His face creased and broke into a small smile. "I'm not going to sack you this time Eren but know that this is your final warning. If it were anyone else I would have let them go but because I know how good you are with customers and how high your work output is I don't want to lose you. Now sort yourself out and go back downstairs. " Clenching his fists tightly, he couldn't thank Erwin enough for the chance.

Eren didn't actually consider for a moment that he would be keeping his job. He assumed the worst and had tried to mentally prepare himself for being sacked but here he was, with one last chance and his job. His job. He desperately needed to keep his job otherwise he'd have to go back home and home was definitely not a place he wanted to return to. He loved his parents dearly but they were so controlling and being in that house was like being deprived of oxygen.

Feeling somewhat dejected, he made his way back across to the fuel station where Jean was trying to juggle two customers at once, one on his till and the other on Eren's till. Apparently all hell had broken loose after he left.  
He jumped behind the counter and took over and fairly soon after a warm wave of pleasant and polite greetings, the majority of customers had been seen to and had almost forgotten that they had been waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get served.

"I really don't know how you do it Eren. You have some kind of magical charm that instantly attracts customers and makes them happy again. I thought that lorry driver was actually going to murder me before you arrived." Jean chuckled and ran his slender fingers through his - already messy - mass of blonde and brown hair. He did that when he was stressed. Eren knew that. He knew all of the little traits that Jean displayed when he was bored, angry, stressed and even, on occasions, happy.  
That was another thing Eren was significantly good at was reading people. He knew what to say and when to say something to someone when they were upset or angry and when not to. The only person he seemed unable to read or act upon was himself.

"Tea?" A single word but effective none-the-less. Receiving only a nod, Eren set about making Jean a cup of his beautifully fragrant Jasmine tea that he drank far too much of - Eren thought - every single day. Eren on the other hand, he was more of a coffee guy. A strong, thick, flavourful Robusta was preferable but he'd just have to make do with the Arabica in the coffee machine at work.

Copious cups of caffeine had been consumed by the time the end of his shift arrived and glancing out through the windows it had grown pretty dark. Jean was finishing closing up the shop and Eren grabbed the carrier bag that held his black fleece jacket to take home to wash. He still hadn't told Jean what he and Erwin had discussed but he imagined that his supervisor had probably had some sort of idea.

"Look, Eren..." Piped up Jean as he was pulling the shutters down on the refrigerators. "Please just try and get here on time, I don't want you getting the sack. I know that we don't get on most of the time but I don't want you leaving. Who else can I boss around and get to do all the work for me?"

Chuckling to himself, Eren found that he, too, was laughing. He really didn't mind this job all that much and sometimes, even sometimes, he didn't mind working with Jean.

"I'll give you a lift home, save you walking. Save you trying to catch a bus." Eren scowled at that last jibe and punched Jean playfully in the arm as he eventually finished locking up the shop.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was just after ten in the morning when Eren opened his conservatory door, a cool breeze washing over his face and bare chest, the heavy smell of rain lingering in the air. Lighting up a cigarette he inhaled deeply, the toxins and necessary components - or so he believed - to kick-start his day. He took a step forward and sat down on the step, the cold, rugged bricks uncomfortable through the thin material of the boxer shorts that all but wearing. Leaning back on both of his hands he closed his eyes and sucked on the cigarette wedged in between in his lips and blowing from the corner of his mouth, sent the smoke spiralling up in silvery plumes, dancing around his face. 

He was meeting with Armin and Mikasa in town today for coffee and lunch. Not that he minded going to meet them at all - in fact he rather enjoyed going out with them - but it seemed to be the initial getting ready and making his way there that bothered him. Luckily for him, today Armin was coming to pick him up, fifteen minutes before lunchtime. Plenty of time for him to get ready.

_DING DONG._

Eren's eyes shot open at the sound, forcing himself into an upright position from where had been lying half in the door, half out of the door.

_DING DONG. DING DONG._

Groaning he glanced down to find the bottom half of his body sopping wet, the rain drizzling across his skin lightly and little blobs of water challenging the strands of hair on his legs as they trickled down.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Mustering the energy he had, he grabbed a towel from the kitchen as he passed through from the conservatory, patting his legs down as he walked. Not the easiest of things to do, Eren noted.

He could see through the frosted window exactly who was on the other side and his heart sank, realising exactly what had happened. Pulling the door towards him revealed the blonde of whom he was supposed to be meeting. What exactly was the time? Armin allowed himself over the threshold, a pained smile on his face.

"Eren, I've been knocking for the past five minutes. It's almost twelve. I've text Mikasa saying that we're going to be a little late." Palming his face and groaning was all that Eren could muster as he paced quickly through the hallway.

"I fell asleep on the patio." Armin followed timidly and entered Eren's room where he stood facing his window, pulling on a fresh pair of underwear and then riving his shirt over his head, a mushroom of messy bed hair popping up and out of the top. "I was up at ten, I swear. I was even going to have a shower and have some breakfast."

"It's alright, technically we're not even late. Here..." Armin threw a black pair of jeans Eren's way and walked out. "I'll go and wait in the car."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Mikasa assured both Eren and Armin that she hadn't been waiting for long outside the coffee shop, though the two men knew that she had more than likely been waiting for at least twenty minutes. Glancing at his watch, Eren slung his arm around Mikasa's shoulder and kissed her cheek, greeting her properly.

"I'm only fifteen minutes late. At least I turned up!" Shoving her brother from her she just rolled her eyes and laughed. Mikasa was not the most vocal nor the most touchy-feely of people but Eren took this gesture as forgiveness and laughed back as they pushed the door to the café open, a warm draught of coffee infused air washing over them. The shop was busy and quite claustrophobic, definitely not enough space for three more people.

"Mikasa and I will just wait outside if you go and stand in the queue, Eren." Nodding, Eren dug his hand into his pocket, taking a step backwards.

"Shall I get us all something to eat as well?" Mikasa was quick to decline, however Armin opted for a small piece of chocolate torte to take out. 

He ordered a dark chocolate mocha for Mikasa - something he noted to match her personality, bitter coffee and sweet chocolate. For Armin a chai latté and for himself an Americano finished with thick cream as opposed to milk. Finally managing to fish his wallet out, he paid for the drinks and grabbing the paper cups he turned around and straight into an oncoming customer.

Eren's heart fell as his arm caught the stranger, the coffee the man held in one hand knocked from his hand and the bagged toasted sandwich he held in the other falling to the floor.  
"Oi, watch where you're going you stupid little shit. My fucking coffee is all over my good suit!" His expression fell as he found himself face to face - or rather face to forehead - with the shorter than average gentleman that he had accidently bumped into at work two days prior. The man seemed to do a double take before gritting his teeth. "Do you have nothing better to do with your stupid little life than knock into unsuspecting customers?"

He didn't know what to do. The coffee shop had quietened somewhat, what with the commotion and Eren grit his teeth in embarrassment, not really knowing what to say.

"You could at least apologise or offer to buy me a new coffee!" He snapped to his senses at the harsh tone and flushed a bright red, so furiously that he could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

"I'm so sorry, I- Let me get you another coffee." The man shook his head and growled, his eyes darkening as he dabbed the wet stains with copious wads of napkins from the counter.

"I've got a meeting in fifteen minutes, I don't have time to wait in the queue for another coffee!" Eren was quick to think on his feet and juggled the cups in his arms.

"Here, take mine. Americano with cream, one brown sugar." Raising his eyebrow, the gentleman scowled and snatched the cup from his hand, returning his gesture with a wet pile of napkins before turning sharply on his heel, walking away without so much as a thank you. By this point an attendant had arrived to mop up the spilt coffee and it was at that moment Eren realised that the stranger had not picked up his toasted sandwich from the floor.  
"Hey, sir, your Panini!" He knelt down with the remaining cups in his hand and picked up the foil inlaid bag containing his panini.

" I don't want it. It's been on the ground, who knows what germs could be crawling over it." And with that, he exit the shop, disappearing faster than Eren could have even thought the word 'goodbye'. It was only after reality had finally hit him that he now realised that he didn't have a drink and that his new-ish, white trainers were now stained, soaked with black coffee.  
Great. If he hadn't been late this morning none of this would have ever happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh the second part.  
> Still nothing too exciting but I guess we're getting to see Mr small, dark and handsome again.  
> I think next chapter is where things are gonna start developing! I hope that you stick around! ^.^  
> Thank you again for reading and hope to see you next chapter! ~<3


	3. Late for the Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren blows it big time.  
> A seemingly perfect morning turns sour after a simple mistake causes everything goes wrong.

** Chapter 3: Late for the Last Time **  
_Time: 1 Hour late_

Quite soon the weekend was over and it was Monday again. Monday was the day of the week that Eren always hated the most and the day that always seemed to come around the quickest.  
Mondays always meant one thing.  
Work.

Eren had promised himself that he was really going to try and that he was going to get the bus before the one that he normally took and with a few not-so-pleasant encouragement phone calls and text messages each morning from the she-devil also known as Mikasa, Eren had successfully gone an entire week without being late once. And surprisingly, things seemed to work better that way for him. He arrived to work just over half an hour early each day and he was able to grab something to eat as well - he had a bad habit of not eating at home usually, breakfast especially.

Finding himself waking up earlier than usually that Monday he glanced at the time on his watch and it read 8:38am. He thought it odd for Mikasa not to text him or even call him for that matter but pushed himself out of bed anyways. With no time for a shower he immediately pulled on his underwear and then his uniform in next to no time at all before heading down through the hallway to the conservatory for his morning cigarette.

The warm breeze took him by surprise as he sat down on the step and closed his eyes, smiling at the heavy smell of pollen had already made itself present so early in the morning. It lingered in the back of his throat, along with the nicotine and the tar from his cigarette and he sneezed, dropping the half-smoked butt to the ground. Instead of picking it up he watched as the white paper of the rolled cigarette smouldered, the thin, sharp strands of smoke being carried away each time the breeze picked up. Snapping out of the trance-like state he had fallen into, he brought his foot down over the embers and stomped it out, picking it up and placing it into the half full flowerpot he used to store the butts when he was finished.  
It was a waste, he thought, but he should really quit anyways.

His watch now read 8:54am. Glancing up at the sun that was now rising up in the sky, the warmth began to penetrate his skin and he took it upon himself to walk to work today. It was a nice day and it didn't look as though it was going to rain. Grabbing his bag he slung it over his shoulder and locked the front door behind him. 

His house was small, only holding two small bedrooms, a tiny bathroom, a kitchen that was barely big enough to swing a pan about in and a living room that was big enough to hold two small couches and a television and nothing else. However, he had a conservatory and patio, alongside a small garden out the back, all of which was more than enough for him living by himself. 

It was roughly three miles from where he lived to his place of work and if he was quick he could make it in about half an hour. Walking at a casual pace, much like the one he was walking at that precise moment in time, it would take him about 45 minutes. Still leaving him plenty of time for a quick bowl of cereal or something similar at work.

At approximately 9:35am he reached the boundaries of the car park and smiling to himself wandered up the path and across the road without a care in the world.  
Sitting outside on one of the benches, he allowed himself a cigarette, basking in the sun before his gruelling ten hour shift ahead of him. This was why he hated Mondays. The longest shift of the week and the least busy of them.  
He watched as the customers walked by, taking in each and every one of them as often as he took a breath of nicotine.

"-en. -ren... EREN!" Snapping out of the daydream he seemed to have slipped into, Eren glanced up to see his supervisor Jean stood above him. His arms were folded and a mixture of emotions painted on his face that he couldn't quite work out. Anger. Sadness...  
"Eren what the hell are you playing at!?" Confusion must have been obvious and Jean shook his head. "You don't even know, do you?"

"Know what?" Eren took the last remaining drag from his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and crushing it, blowing the smoke through his nose.

"Eren, you're late. Eren you were supposed to start almost an hour ago. Smith has just called me up to his office to talk about you. I swear I tried to phone you, I tried to get Mikasa to phone you but no one seemed to be able to get through..." Fumbling through his pocket he pulled the smooth, flat screened phone from his pocket and pressed the power button to no avail.

"Phone is dead." Frowning, he was awfully confused. He looked down at his watch to check the time and sure enough it said 9:48am. He didn't start until 10am so he really didn't understand what was going on. And then it hit him. "FUCK!"

"The clocks Eren. It was daylight savings yesterday. Don't tell me you forgot to change your clocks forward. How did you even go a full day without noticing!?" Jean groaned, slapping his hand to his face and rubbing his eyes. "Fucks sake Eren, Erwin didn't sound happy at all. You're just going to have to explain to him, I'm sure he'll understand. Come with me now, we'll go and get this sorted." 

He was on his feet and walking aside Jean through the shop before he knew what he was doing. Through the shop they walked and up the stairs to the lone office at the end of the hall. There were no windows looking into this room, only looking out. Before he knew it they were both stood outside Erwin Smith's office, Jean rapping his knuckles against the door. There was a short silence and a muffled 'come in' granted them permission to enter.

"Hello Jean, oh- and a pleasant surprise to see you actually decided to turn up today Jaeger." Eren winced, the malice in his voice prominent. "I had actually intended to discuss Eren's future with this company between us Jean and have you relay the message to him later but seeing as the main man himself is here, you won't have to bother. Isn't that wonderful?" Standing up from his seat, Erwin walked around the desk and sat down on the edge. "Please, the both of you, sit..."  
He motioned to the two black, leather seats positioned together at perfectly opposite angles to one another.  
"How long has Eren worked in the filling station for Jean?" With a pained glance towards Eren, Jean took a deep breath, ready to defend him.

"Th-Three years Erwin. But let me tell you, he's the hardest worker that we've had in that time and-" Cut short, Jean was silenced by a cold glare and a single finger held up before him

"Three years Eren, is this correct?" His stare was now focused on Eren and to say the brunette felt unnerved was an understatement. His ice blue eyes did not blink and literally froze him to the spot in which he was sat.

"Y-Yes sir, three years. I've been with the company eight years in total and I-" Again there was silence as Erwin stood up, towering above the two.

"It's really a shame Eren. Everyone tells me that you're such a wonderful jigsaw piece to this puzzle of a company I run here. You've been a wonderful employee whilst you've been here. One of the best workers in this shop that I've ever had. Over the years you've pushed sales on each department that you've been on, always higher than the regional best and are currently the leading distributer in the entire _country_ of our store card in your current department by miles. Nevertheless, your timekeeping skills are terrible. You are constantly late and are unable to keep to a consecutive schedule. Lateness as shocking as yours is a disgrace to this store and the entire company and it is something that I really cannot put up with any longer. Punctuality takes presidence over almost anything and unfortunately because of that I'm going to have to give you your two week's notice. You can either work those two weeks or hand in your resignation, either of which I'm happy to accept."

He couldn't speak. He actually couldn't muster a word. It felt as though his vocal chords had retracted down into his stomach, melding in with the acid pit that was currently his stomach, physically unabling him to make a sound. Jean compensated for Eren in this matter and stood up abruptly, his chair screeching harshly as he thrust it backwards.

"Erwin, you can't! Please just give him one more chance. He-It wasn't his fault today! The clocks went back and he didn't change his watch and he was doing so well this past week he's been arriving more than half an hour early most days and..." Whatever strength Eren had left in his body he used to grasp Jean by the wrist and his smiled up at him - not his usual cheeky smile but a sad, distant smile, the likes of which Jean had never seen before.

"It's okay Jean, really." He pushed himself to his feet and took a deep breath before starting. "Thank you for putting up with my behaviour over the past few years Erwin and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this company for as long as you have. I appreciate you giving me a second chance and I understand that I have disappointed you. If it suits you, I'll continue to work my final week and then I shall leave." Resting his hand on Eren's shoulder, Erwin sighed.

"I'm not doing this because I want to Jean. Eren please believe me when I say that. I just can't afford any more threats on my own job." Eren nodded, understanding the pressure that the manager must have been under because of his negligence. " I wasn't lying when I said you were one of the best workers we've had. You just need to learn a little more self discipline and I hope, for your sake, that you learn sooner rather than later. Take care Eren."

And just like that, the conversation was over.  
And just like that, Eren had lost his job.

Leaving the office, it didn't seem to have sunk into his head just yet that he had lost his job. He had started walking, to where he didn't know, but Jean stopped him in his tracks, one hand on each shoulder, his face level with his, a sad, dejected look bringing him to reality.

"Don't cry Eren, everything will be fine." Jean's words were confusing, yet comforting all the same.

Crying? He wasn't...  
Lifting his hand felt like lifting a block of concrete, his whole body weighted to the ground as his body had begun reacting to the news faster than his mentality could process it.  
Sure enough there were warm, salty dribbles of water cascading down his face and dripping to the ground. He wasn't just crying, he was _crying_.  
The realisation of what had just happened hit him full force and his eyes widened, a strangled sob tumbling from his lips and he fell into Jean's awaiting arms, staining the shoulder of his dark green shirt with his tears almost instantly.

"Hey, I told you, everything will be fine. You've got Mikasa and Armin and you've still got your parents as well. Hell, you've even got me if you're really stuck for someone to talk to... Everything will be fine." Luckily there weren't many staff members wandering the halls and Eren was spared the embarrassment of having to explain to anyone later why he had transformed from his normal cheery, bubbly self into a wreck within seconds in the confines of the corridor or why he and Jean had their arms wrapped around each other for longer than the comfortable amount of time two men should stereotypically hold one another. "C'mon Eren, we'd best go over. I've left Armin by himself and he was supposed to finish when you started." 

A nod was enough to part them and without any words they made their way down the remainder of the corridor and down the stairs. Glancing around him, those customers who once had a bounce in their step were now moving in slow motion. The children running riot; their shrieks and cries sounded so dull and distant. And those lights. The lights that shone throughout the whole store and usually illuminated the way towards the exit were suddenly dark. So dark that Eren thought he might even lose his way hadn't he had Jean clinging to his arm, dragging him alongside him.

He didn't even notice it when Mikasa appeared before them. He didn't hear the words frantically pouring from her mouth. He didn't feel her arms around his shoulders nor smell the sweet scented perfume that permeated through her shirt. The only one of his senses that seemed to be working at that moment was that of taste and what a bitter taste it was. His mouth had long since been dry and it was only then he realised how thirsty stressing and crying had made him.

"It'll be alright Eren." Mikasa's voice resounded in his ears, over and over and over. 'It'll be alright Eren.'

He'd just lost his job, how was anything going to be 'alright' anymore?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Eren has lost his job... Woe is him.  
> I think that the next few chapters are going either make or break him.  
> I've not decided as of this moment in time.  
> Depends on whether I want to torture him or take pity on him. HAH.
> 
> Thank you, as always for reading and if you're a first time reader, WELCOME! ~<3


	4. Late Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Down in the dumps and out of luck, Eren starts to struggle.  
> He refuses to ask for help from anyone but with next month's rent due and no job to fund the bill, how will he cope?  
> Mikasa and Armin must step in to save their friend from his impromptu breakdown.  
> Their words and support will either make him or break him. How he proceeds is up to Eren and Eren alone.

** Chapter 4: Late Night **  
_Time: 2 months and counting_

Eren licked his lips and stared at the half empty glass before him, preparing himself for another drink. Within a few moments there was a quarter of a glass left, then another few seconds it was empty.

He had planned for months prior to this day to go out with Armin for his birthday and was certainly not going to let the recent course of events put him off from having a good night.

"Eren, we haven't even left your house yet and you're going to be absolutely plastered." Armin was always the sensible one when it came to nights out. He rarely drank and when he did it would only be one or two before switching back to soft drinks. Of course, this left him open to being the babysitter and the one responsible for getting Eren home at night when he lost the use of his legs due to his inevitable intoxication.

"It's fine Armin, it's my birthday. I'm allowed a few drinks before we go out, right?" Eren knew that he was drinking too much but he intended on getting utterly wasted before the night was out. It was probably the only chance he was going to get to go out drinking for a long time to come so he wanted to make the most of it. "Lighten up."

"Whatever you say Eren..." Taking a sip of his Bacardi and Coke, Armin sighed heavily.

He was sure that this was going to end badly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eren slumped down into his couch, the springs groaning as he twisted to lie down. He was drunk. Again. This was now three days into the second month and counting after his birthday that he'd consumed enough alcohol to cloud his thoughts. It was better that way was his initial idea before he had entered this temporary drunken stupor.

Of course, Armin and Mikasa were more than worried. Nothing either of the two of them could say would stop Eren spiralling downwards into the abyss that was awaiting him. Armin had stayed over with Eren; Mikasa had come round and cooked him dinner every night, fearing he'd starve to death. Hell, even Jean had come round to see if he was alright after the way he had reacted to his dismissal.

He was in such a state that he couldn't tell whether it was his head thumping or someone actually banging on the door. Glancing over at the clock it flashed 10:32pm, the luminous red light harsh on his eyes. Quite soon the banging ceased however it was replaced with a rapping on the window and distant mutterings coming from outside. Managing to haul himself from the couch, he dragged himself to the front door, twisting the key that was already in the lock. Opening the door, he was hit by a wave of fresh air, something of which he'd been unaccustomed to, taking to smoking inside the house instead of outside.

"Eren, don't do that!" Mikasa screeched, barging her way past him into the hallway. "I have a spare key for a reason, you know! How am I supposed to get in if your key is still in the lock!?"

Slurring, Eren retorted, groaning as the Mikasa turned the lights on. "Maybe I don' wanna see anyone..."

"Well maybes people want to see you." Armin poked his head around the door, bringing in carrier bags not doubt full of groceries. "We're worried about you, Eren."

Eren just stood there, watching as they paraded around his house, making noise, making a mess.

"Why are you worried about me, I'm just fine?" He leant against the counter and growling, Mikasa thrust a wad of papers into his face.

"Of course you're fine Eren, that's exactly what these letters say! Jesus Christ Eren, you have to pay your bills. You can't just sit and mope around expecting them to pay for themselves. Have you even tried to look for another job?" Armin frowned, taking the letters from Mikasa's clenched fist and glanced over them.

"Eren, you're really in trouble. These are threatening eviction! Were you struggling before you lost your job as well?" He blinked at Eren, worried for his friend's wellbeing. It wasn't every day that your best friend was in trouble as severe as this. "Why didn't you say anything to anyone? We could have helped you."

Turning his head, Eren pouted stubbornly, crossing his arms. He wasn't one for talking to other people about his problems. So what if he'd been having a bit of trouble paying his bills, he had a plan and was going to deal with it. He was going to deal with it and everything was going to be fine.

"Eren, you're going to have to go home to mum and dad. There's no way you're going to be able to afford to pay all of this back now. You're going to have to go home and sort your life out." Her tone was concerned yet still siphoned a bit of anger. Not at the fact her brother was a stupid idiot who wasn't able to take care of himself, but a stupid idiot that couldn't ask for help when he was in desperate need. "You can't keep living like this. I can't keep coming around to make sure you eat and Armin is going to be really busy soon when he goes to university. You have to learn to look after yourself."

Pulling a squashed cigarette packet from his back pocket, Eren slipped a bent cigarette between his lips, frowning before lighting up, inhaling the first draw deeply.

"I'll be fine. I can look after myself just fine. I have done for the past four years, haven't I? I don't need mum and dad for anything! And I don't ask for you to come around and help me, so don't feel obligated to all the time, God!" Placing his hand on Eren's shoulder, Armin sighed.

"Eren, calm down. Just... Why don't you do something with your life? You were totally wasted in that supermarket. I know you. I know how smart you are. Why don't you go back to school? There are loads of things that you like doing so why don't you go and do them?" The blonde smiled reassuringly and pat his back.

"They kicked me out of school for a reason Armin. I'm stupid and worthless. What makes me think that they would want to take me back?" Armin shook his head and sighed.

"Go to a different college or university. One that won't judge you because of the way you approach things. Eren you are not stupid. You were one of the highest graded in our class. We all thought it was unfair when you were kicked out of school. If you go to university and pass your exams you can prove him wrong for doing that!"

Eren sighed. Loudly. Go back to school? He thought that he'd left those days behind. Sure, he was one of the most intelligent in the class but life wasn't all that great when he was at school. He was always getting into fights - mostly with Jean - and though he seemed to be popular within his own small circle of friends, he was frowned upon by most other students and their parents especially. He was a 'bad influence' and part of 'the wrong crowd', whatever that meant.

"Not to mention you'd get the majority of your fees paid for you and you'd even get a bursary to help you pay for living costs like groceries. I've just finished sorting my accommodation and finance out and it's not too late for newcomers to either. I can help you if you like, Eren?"

Cutting up some potatoes, Mikasa chimed in, enthusiasm now lacing her voice.  
"Definitely do something Eren. I think that Armin has a point. You were definitely one of the smartest at school and it would be a waste just to mope about doing nothing with your life. Why don't you start by picking something that _you_ want to do? I mean, you like sports... Why don't you go on to study something to do with sports? Or you like drawing, how about something to do with art?"

"Photography." Eren stated bluntly, stubbing his cigarette out in the overflowing ashtray. "I want to study photography. I miss going out on a whim and taking photographs." Armin turned to Mikasa and smiled before they both turned to Eren.

"Well then do it. I'll help you with everything. I imagine that you'd probably be going to the same university as me since Arts and Sciences tend to get coupled together."

"The only thing is Eren," Mikasa's tone was serious now, her face stern. "You'd have to be able to manage your timekeeping. I won't be there to wake you up for your lectures in the morning. Also, you couldn't keep living here. You simply can't afford it as it is and getting student accommodation would be much cheaper." 

Eren's heart sank. He adored this house and though it was small, it was somewhere he could truly call home. Somewhere he could see himself saving up the money for to purchase in the future.

"That means you'll have to move back home with mum and dad for a bit whilst everything gets sorted out. You just need to get out of this slump Eren, everyone is worried about you."

Grimacing, Eren thought about moving back in with his parents. They were partially the reason why he left in the first place. He couldn't stand their constant nagging at him nor their constant bickering; with him and with each other. It was definitely not somewhere he could just go to and relax.  
"I don't know if I can. I'm afraid that everything will just fall apart again once I head down this road." And he was genuinely scared. This once promising, independent, headstrong young man had been reduced to a broken, drunken mess in the space of a few months.

"Anything is possible, Eren. We'll make sure you'll be alright. After all, that's what friend and family are for, right? We'll go down to the community centre tomorrow and get you the forms to fill in to start with. You've only got a few months before the courses close for the year so it's better to do it now whilst you can."

"You'll be thanking us later for this, Eren." Mikasa smiled and turned off the pan of potatoes. "Now go and sit down and I'll bring you your tea through."

Eren smiled half-heartedly, which was more than he had done in the past couple of months, before wandering through into his living room to sit down. 

He didn't want that stupid job at the supermarket. He didn't need that stupid job at the supermarket! A prospect of having a career at the end of this was something that excited him. What if he really was going to find the job of his dreams come the end of it all? That thought in itself was enough to give him the motivation to go through with it all. With the help of Armin and Mikasa he had been pulled from that deep, dank pit he had fallen into some two months ago and had managed to breathe fresh air for the first time in what felt like forever.

Perhaps things really were starting to look up for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weeeee so I couldn't put Eren through so much torture. Perhaps another time, haha.  
> This is probably where the story starts to pick up now.  
> In the next chapter Mr Small, Dark and Handsome will be making his third appearance and he will finally get a name to his pretty face (though well all know who it obviously is) and Eren will take the great step towards university life.


	5. Late Bloomer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of Armin and Mikasa and being the happiest he has been in the past few months, Eren enrols into the class of his dreams, doing something that he loves. Filled with glee, he cannot contain his excitement.  
> Then enter his tutor - Mr Small, Dark and Handsome: A stone-faced, abrupt man who seemingly hates the world and everything in it. Especially Eren.

** Chapter 5: Late Bloomer **  
_Time: 9 years and counting_

Standing outside, Eren exhaled a mouthful of smoke before taking the last draw of his cigarette. It was half past seven in the morning, a warm, sunny day and he was awake, feeling quite refreshed and rather excited for a change. Today was the first day of college and it was also the first time that Eren had felt this happy in a long time. He was finally going to do something with his life and make something of himself. 

Though this course that Armin had selected for him was only a year long, it was a course that would grant him access into any university he could wish for, should he pass his exams come the end. He was also pleased to find out that this course was specifically for mature students such as himself who had been out of education for a long while. It was designed to help him get back on his own two feet and learn how to do things the university way.

It had been several months since Eren had last had a drink and several months since Armin had gone along to his local education board and applied for a position in the nearby Shiganshina college of Arts and Social Sciences. The very same college in which Armin was studying to get into university.

Eren had chosen to follow the arts route, choosing Photography, Art and English Literature as his path, whereas Armin, wanting to become a geologist, had chosen Sciences, Geography and Mathematics. Eren was especially excited to be doing photography. It was his passion to capture things on film and in still life. He was exceptionally good at it and he seemed to have the knack for finding and bringing out the beauty of even the most abstract of things.

He slid the conservatory door closed and wandered through into the living room, pacing about nervously for a while before sitting down, pulling out his phone. Flicking open a random game, he played for a while before a ring at the door pulled Eren from his thoughts and he stood up from his sofa. That would be Armin. Armin had kindly offered to give Eren a lift to the college every morning, saving him being late for his classes - this was the result of a discussion between Armin and Mikasa trying to think of ways for Eren to be on time. It was something that Eren was eternally grateful for. He certainly didn't want to screw this one up.

The drive went slowly and Eren gripped onto the handle of the door, clenching every so often. It was safe to say that he was nervous. He was normally so eager to make new friends and get in with the crowd but this was a completely new situation and not something that he was used to. It had been almost ten years since Eren had been to school and in a school environment. How was he going to fare? Were people going to like him? Was he going to be able to fit in alright? 

Armin eventually pulled into the college car park and they walked side by side to the entrance and into the reception area. The halls were bustling with people, new and old, all standing in queues, against the wall and in groups.

"Okay, this is where I leave you Eren. Do you have your handbook with you to tell you where your classes are?" Armin fussed over Eren, much like a mother would her child. "I can come with you if you want me to?"

"Y-Yeah, it's in my bag." He scratched his head nervously and unzipped his bag on the floor, rummaging through his workbooks, pristine and new. "It says that my first class is on the third floor. I guess I need to find the stairs or something. I'll be fine, I'll find them. You just get to your class, I'll be okay."

"They're over there." Armin pointed in the direction of a side corridor to the left of where they were standing. There are elevators as well, just next to the stairwell. I'm on the sixth floor. I'll meet you down here for lunch, okay?" Eren could only nod as Armin took a step away from him. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine."

"Yeah, fine." And like that, Armin was gone. Perhaps Eren should have said yes to him showing him the way. The building was gigantic, housing twelve floors and over three hundred classrooms. He was positive that he was going to have a little bit of difficulty finding the right classroom. 

Gulping, Eren threw the handbook back into the depths of his bag, zipping it up and slinging it over his shoulder a bit too enthusiastically, hitting an oncoming passerby, a thud resounding.

"Ugh!" Eren glanced down, a black briefcase sitting at his feet and cringed, looking up at its owner.

"I am so sorry, I..." He paused mid-sentence, his heart dropping at the man he was currently face to face with.

"Do you seriously go out of your way to knock into people!?" The black haired man, of which Eren had now accidently bumped into three times, stood before him and to say he looked annoyed was somewhat of an understatement. "Stupid shitty brat!"

He leant down to pick up his briefcase, cursing under his breath. "I seriously hope, for your sake, that what's in this case isn't fuckin' broken."

"S-Sorry..." Eren attempted to apologise, but the man had already turned on his heel and walked off hurriedly. Well, that wasn't the best start to his day. He could only hope that his class and his classmates were going to be a little less harsh.

Deciding midway that it would have probably been easier to take the lift, Eren groaned, panting as he reached the top of the stairs as quickly as his legs could carry him. He really needed to cut down on the cigarettes. 

Standing nervously outside the door he plucked up the courage to push it open to find a couple of people already there. Smiling, he took the plunge and sat down aside a tall, dark haired man who was sitting next a brawny blonde haired looking man, the pair obviously quite friendly already.

"Hey, I'm Eren." The blonde smiled happily at him, holding his hand out immediately to which Eren gladly accepted, shaking it fervently.

"Reiner Braun. Pleased to meet you. This is Bertoldt." He held his hand out in front of his friend as he introduced him before whispering. "He's not very good with new people. He gets really nervous. Once he gets to know you it'll be fine." Bertoldt smiled coyly before glancing away.

The class began to fill and Eren continued talking away to Reiner, Bertoldt sitting in complete silence as he listened to their small talk. The clock ticked away and no sooner had the two hands hit 9am did the door fly open, smacking harshly against the wall.

Eren could feel his heart sink as he watched the teacher walk in, gripping the edge of the table as he stood behind the desk and glanced over the class. The gentleman was clutching a black, leather suitcase, matching the black suit that adorned his body as well as his perfectly combed black hair and silvery-black eyes. Those very same eyes that were now boring deeply into Eren's as his gaze locked on. 

Well, you know what they say? Third time lucky, however, in this instance, Eren did not feel lucky at all. He felt very unlucky, somewhat intimidated by the man and fearful that this was not going to go as well as he had planned. How was he going to get along with a man he had accidently offended three times now?

"Please be seated. My name is Levi Ackerman and I will be your photography tutor. Though you are all mature students, I would appreciate it if you address me as Mr Ackerman. My primary job is professor of Literature at Sina University, which as you all should know is the leading university in the country. I come to Shiganshina college three days a week to teach you sorry looking lot how to pick up a camera and take a photo the correct way. Hopefully at the end of this course you will get good enough grades to be able to get to the level of a Sina applicant."

Nudging Eren with his elbow, Reiner muttered under his breath chuckling. "Jesus, who pissed in his tea this morning?"

The class fell silent as Mr Ackerman had paused his speech, his gaze immediately upon Eren and Reiner and he did not look amused in the slightest.

"Please, if the two of you have something to say, I'm sure we'd all love to hear it." With his arms folded, he puffed his chest out as his usual cold stare turned to that of a glare. "No, nothing? I do not tolerate ignorance, especially when I am talking and trying to teach you something. Let us hope that Muscles, you don't break the camera when you try to take a photo and that shit-for-brains next to you doesn't knock it off the table. Now can I continue my introduction, or would you rather talk about yourselves and then proceed to teach the class about cameras? Didn't think so." Eren and Reiner both stiffened and shook their heads before cowering slightly and with that, Levi continued his introduction, his gaze never leaving the vicinity of the two red-faced boys.

After going around the class and introducing themselves, Eren felt somewhat more relaxed, the rest of the students all seeming like such nice people. Levi spent the rest of the day explaining exactly what the lessons were going to entail and how they were going to be graded and just like that, Eren's first day at college was at an end.

Next lesson he was instructed to bring the best camera that he owned to class for inspection. At this order he felt a little bubble of excitement rise from his stomach to his chest. Eren had a plethora of cameras at home for different occasions and had the perfect one to bring for the next lesson.

On the way home, Armin could barely get a word in edgeways as Eren rambled on and on about his classmates and the new friends that he had made and how he had to bring in a camera next lesson and how his teacher was the same asshole that he had accidentally knocked into in the café a while back. Armin wondered how Eren was breathing at some points as it was as though he wasn't stopping to take a breath. Even by the time that he had reached home and when he was lying in bed trying to sleep, he could not keep the grin from his face.

College was going to be great for him. He couldn't actually remember the last time he was this excited about anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Levi is Mr Small, Dark and Handsome and Eren's photography teacher. This should be interesting!  
> Exciting stuff and all that jazz.
> 
> Thank you, as usual, for reading! ~<3


End file.
